Shun sentiments, vote competent candidates, NILDS DG tells Nigerians

The National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) has urged Nigerians to shun primordial sentiments and vote competent candidates during the 2023 general elections.

Director-General of NILDS, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, stated this on Wednesday in Abuja at the closing of a three-day capacity building workshop for legislative aides in the National Assembly.

He said for Nigeria to attain greatness, Nigerians must set aside the issue of primordial sentiments and ensure that persons with good character and required competence emerge as leaders.

“We must set aside the issue of money in campaign and in electioneering process; we must look at competence; we must look at character, we must look at ability of the various candidates.

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“People’s perception should not be judged or based on your kin or kit, it shouldn’t be based on primordial sentiments.

“It shouldn’t be based on languages or religion. It should be based on whether the candidates identified or paraded by the party can do the job.

“Character is key, competence is key. And to a large extent, the fear of God is fundamental,” he said.

Sulaiman, however, urged politicians to ensure that campaigns were issue-based and violent-free.

“Campaign ideally should be issued based. In advanced democracies that we are trying to copy from, their campaigns are issue-based but in Nigeria, we are still far away from it.”

On the workshop, Sulaiman said that participants were trained in various areas including budgeting, information gathering, data gathering and oversight.